In reading threads on here about trick-or-treating it sounds like the local community/neighbourhood has a set timeframe that trick-or-treaters are supposed to come. Is that right? And having your lights on signals that you are"open" for trick-or-treaters?What does "trick-or-treat" mean? My husband had some TOTers come to the door and he said "trick" back to them, and told the kids that meant they had to do a "trick" for him before he gave them anything (not that he actually had anything to give:) )

My experience has been that the trick or treating is done on October 31st in the late afternoon (for the little ones) up until 8pm for the older ones. If a house has a light on, you can approach. Those homes that do not want to participate can leave the house with no front porch light.

My sister lives in a small town in the Pocono Mountains. They hold trick or treating on the Wednesday before Halloween. The town watch is out to help kids cross the street and keep everyone safe.

I’m from Germany and Halloween got imported here a few years ago because… well… imports from the US always sell well and our supermarkets needed new reasons for jacking up prices I guess.

Anyway, there already is an occasion for people to wear costumes around here in February, and it’s actually a series of days, so that should be plenty, right?

I don’t really appreciate being solicited for candy by kids in recycled Fasnacht costumes, but they also developed a sense of entitlement to trick people who don’t fork over treats, so last year some kids actually set fire to my parents’ front door.

I live in the North East of England where we do have the tradition of Haloweening- the children dress up, and go from house to house. They have a special rhyme "The sky is blue, the Grass is Green; Please for a penny for Halloween; If you haven't got a penny then a shilling* will do; If you haven't got a shilling then God Bless You"

Mostly people give sweets, some people save up pennies and tuppences to give as well.

* A shilling is twelve pre-decimal pence

I grew up in Lincolnshire, where we did not have that tradition. I was never allowed to go trick or treating, but was allowed to have a dressing up party instead. We always had apple bobbing, where you have to catch an apple from a basin of water with your teeth- as well as other games.

Trick or treating usually starts around 5:30 (for the little ones) or 6 and lasts until about 8, although it can go longer if people are still handing out candy. Leaving the porch light on indicates you are participating.

The "trick" part or trick or treating is actually meant to be a threat; if you don't provide a treat, they will play a trick on you. I've never seen this happen, though, because most people who participate do provide treats and the others are left alone. However, the night before Halloween (known as Mischief Night) is rife with tricks, usually involving eggs and toilet paper.

Halloween has started to creep into Finland, probably for the same reasons as Germany. This year I heard the first story of trick or treating, gone wrong. Some teenagers had tried it at 10 pm on the Friday before Halloween and when they received no candy the put toilet paper on the hedge.

We have a similar tradition of our own, on the Sunday before Easter children will dress up, mostly as witches and decorate willow braches with feathers and go offering blessings and getting candy or money as reward (that's actually a mix of two traditions, one slightly pagan with Easter bonfires and witches and one with Orthodox Christian blessings and the result is a bit bizarre). There isn't really a need for another day like that in my opinion.

We celebrate the first Saturday in October as pyhäinpäivä, I guess that's All Saint's Day. We visit graves and light candles (originally they were supposed to guide the souls back when they left the graves so that they wouldn't haunt you) and remember the dead. For some reason visiting graves is also a Christmas tradition.

I’m from Germany and Halloween got imported here a few years ago because… well… imports from the US always sell well and our supermarkets needed new reasons for jacking up prices I guess.

Anyway, there already is an occasion for people to wear costumes around here in February, and it’s actually a series of days, so that should be plenty, right?

I don’t really appreciate being solicited for candy by kids in recycled Fasnacht costumes, but they also developed a sense of entitlement to trick people who don’t fork over treats, so last year some kids actually set fire to my parents’ front door.

Not a fan.

OT: Fasching?? I love Fasching, can't wait to move to Germany next year and experience it!

"Trick or treat" is a hangover from the original Halloween, when kids would sneak out and go around wreaking havoc. They would tip over sheds and privies, throw eggs at houses, etc. Encouraging children to come to the door instead, show off their costumes, and chant "Trick or treat!" put the kibosh on most of this behavior. (It also brought the kids close enough to describe to the neighborhood cop in case they decided to egg the place anyway, but I doubt that most of them realized this!) Kids these days just know that "Trick or treat" is what you say to get candy.

Oh, and we also do bobbing for apples at Halloween parties. If flu is going around, this may be changed to sticky buns or hot dogs on strings hung from the ceiling, a prize to the first kid to catch it and everybody gets to eat one. Speaking of parties, Halloween parties are actually the older approved tradition.

Trick or treating usually starts around 5:30 (for the little ones) or 6 and lasts until about 8, although it can go longer if people are still handing out candy. Leaving the porch light on indicates you are participating.

The "trick" part or trick or treating is actually meant to be a threat; if you don't provide a treat, they will play a trick on you. I've never seen this happen, though, because most people who participate do provide treats and the others are left alone. However, the night before Halloween (known as Mischief Night) is rife with tricks, usually involving eggs and toilet paper.

The hours for trick-or-treating, even the day for it, can vary from city to city. When I was growing up (1980's Milwaukee), TOT was held on the Sunday closest to Halloween, from 3pm to about 5pm, ending just as it was getting dark.

I've never known anyone do any egging or TP'ing, although pumpkins were frequently smashed.

I have never lived anywhere that designated certain days or times for trick-or-treating. Halloween is when it is - October 31. I never even heard of doing trick-or-treat on a different day until I was over 40. In my experience, trick-or-treat generally begins around dusk, and most people have their porch lights turned off and are finished up some time between 8 and 9PM.

Trick or treating usually starts around 5:30 (for the little ones) or 6 and lasts until about 8, although it can go longer if people are still handing out candy. Leaving the porch light on indicates you are participating.

The "trick" part or trick or treating is actually meant to be a threat; if you don't provide a treat, they will play a trick on you. I've never seen this happen, though, because most people who participate do provide treats and the others are left alone. However, the night before Halloween (known as Mischief Night) is rife with tricks, usually involving eggs and toilet paper.

The hours for trick-or-treating, even the day for it, can vary from city to city. When I was growing up (1980's Milwaukee), TOT was held on the Sunday closest to Halloween, from 3pm to about 5pm, ending just as it was getting dark.

I've never known anyone do any egging or TP'ing, although pumpkins were frequently smashed.

Sorry, I meant to say that those are the usual times where I live now.

THis is a bit of a sidebar - but the neighborhood I grew up in - Getting your house TPed was an honor not vandalism. Parents were often involved - getting the honoree out of the house. You always asked permission of the parents before you did it.

They used to TP the school for homecoming. I remember a few years ago some reporter on the news reporting the "vandalism" of the school - with the police, principal, AP, Grade level Principals, and Coaches (including my cousin) standing in the background of the shot.

Last year my Oldest niece attended the same school for her senior year. Sis and BIL offered to buy her and her friends TP to contribute to the effort. They looked at them like they were crazy. The tradition has been stopped for some reason. The kids that have been there since they were freshmen said it never happened while they were there. Kind of sad to see the tradition go - this would have been the 3rd generation of our family to participate.

Oh - If kids didn't like you they would do much worst things than TP your house. Thing that wouldn't wash way in the rain - like spray paint your house, rip up plants, take a baseball bat to your mail box - or a pipebomb.

I live in one place and teach in another, rougher place. There is a lot more havoc, pranks, vandalism, etc. in some cities and neighborhoods. Where my students live it can get pretty rough and telling them "trick" would definitelymark you and/or your house. As far as the night before being Mischief Night/Devil's night - in the really bad neighborhoods they don't worry as much about egging as they do fires, robbery and shootings.